Jane "Janey" Barbara Santarpia passed away at home from a short but hard-fought battle with cancer on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020.
She was born in Brooklyn on Sept. 12, 1943, the daughter to John and Judy Walroth and sister to Joanne Hennigan, who all predeceased her.
She is survived by her husband, Don Santarpia, her four children and their spouses: Deb and Michael Searle, Scott and Jennifer Santarpia, Rebecca and Jeffrey Rocke and Rachel McIntosh. Janey’s 16 grandchildren and four great grandchildren all adored her and loved visiting her to eat her homemade bread and cookies and to spend time listening to her sage advice and laughing at her jokes and teasing.
Janey was an avid volunteer and over the years she coached soccer, was a Girl Scout Leader, served on the Girl Scout Council, Girl Scout Service Team Coordinator, hosted Project Children, served on Grace Lutheran's Church Council, Grace Lutheran Fund Raising Committee, served as writer and editor of the Grace Lutheran Messenger for more than 20 years, was a member of the Greenwood Lake Public Library Board for more than 20 years and many more organizations received her support and dedication.
Janey was an active Girl Scout for more than 50 years and received recognition from the Sarah Wells Girl Scout Council for that achievement.
She was supportive of all of her children’s endeavors including sports where she could be heard shouting, "Come on Green," "Let's Go Green", or listening to their attempts at bad music, bad singing and many other events where she was always honest about their performance as she said: “I want to make sure you never get big heads."
Janey expected everyone to be together as a family for every holiday, to miss a holiday was a crime. The holidays didn’t stop at the big three, it was every holiday that anyone was off for, there was a get together at her house. She hosted 18+ years of Wednesday’s for her daughters and daughter-in-law and their children and friends to provide a safe place to talk, compare notes about motherhood and support each other. Through the years dozens of different people participated in the Wednesdays at Janey’s.
Janey went to college at an older age and received her Registered Nursing designation while raising her four children. She showed them how hard work will always get you further along in life than wishing and regretting decisions later in life.
Janey loved her husband Don so much and for so long that it is unbelievable to him that she is gone. He adored her for who she was, never shying away from her when she was ill or unwell but pouring all of his love into her to help her on her journey to wellness or in this last event to her passing on.
Janey and Don's kids say that they had as perfect a marriage as one can find, married over 50 years, raising chickens, goats, geese, ducks, dogs and cats they had so many laughs and moments of shock and awe in their time together. And they always loved and cared for each other throughout it all.
In lieu of flowers Janey asked that you donate to the following organizations that are always in need of help, the Greenwood Lake Library, St. Jude’s, and The Shriners.
Arrangements are under the direction of the Seamon-Wilsey Funeral Home, Inc. John and Lafayette streets, Saugerties. Expressions of condolence may be shared with the family on Jane’s Tribute Wall @SeamonWilseyFuneralHome.